PROPERTIES OF QUADRILATERALS #13

Polygons with four sides are called QUADRILATERALS. There are various
properties associated with specific kinds of quadrilaterals. The names of
quadrilaterals studied in the book are listed below along with their properties.

A D

X
Quadrilateral ABCD is a parallelogram. Opposite
sides are parallel and congruent. Consecutive angles
are supplementary. The diagonals bisect.
B !BAD " !DCB C
!ADC " !ABC
AX " CX
BX " DX
K Y
2 5
1 6

Quadrilateral KYSH is a rhombus. It is a

parallelogram with four congruent sides. In addition
X
to all the properties of a parallelogram, the diagonals
are perpendicular and bisect the opposite angles.
8 3
7 4
H S
HY ! KS
"1 # "2 # "3 # "4
"5 # "6 # "7 # "8

Quadrilateral THOM is a rectangle. It is a T H

parallelogram with four right angles. In addition to
all the properties of a parallelogram, the diagonals
are congruent.

If a rectangle is also a rhombus, then it is called a

square. A square would have all the properties M O
listed previously.
TO ! MH

GEOMETRY Connections 35
Two additional quadrilaterals are studied. H O

Quadrilateral HOEY is a trapezoid. It has exactly

one set of parallel sides called bases. The segment B R
connecting the midpoints of the non-parallel sides is
parallel to the bases and has length equal to the
average of the bases. Y E
BR = 1
2
(HO + EY)

Quadrilateral WXYZ is a kite. It has one pair of

opposite angles congruent and the diagonals are W Y
perpendicular.

Z
XZ ! WY
"WXY # "WZY

Example 1

Use the information in the parallelogram at right to A B

find m!BAD , m!ADB , AT, and BD.
10
Solution: m!BAD = 100° since consecutive T 80°
angles are supplementary. 7
m!ADB = 80° - 32° = 48° = 80° ! 32° = 48° since 32°
D C
opposite angles are congruent. AT = 7 and BD = 20
since diagonals bisect.

Example 2

Use the information in the rhombus at right to find P

RQ, m!SPQ , m!STR , and RT.
7 35°
Solution: RQ = 7 since all sides congruent. 6
S
m!SPQ = 70° since diagonals bisect opposite T
angles. m!STR = 90° since diagonals are Q
perpendicular. RT = 6 since diagonals bisect.
R
36 Extra Practice
Example 3

Given that Q and R are midpoints in the trapezoid at M 5 N

right to find m!QMN , m!QRN , and QR.

Solution: m!QMN = 120° since MN is parallel to PO. Q R

m!QRN = 70° since Q and R are midpoints, then QR
60° 70°
is parallel to the bases and with parallel lines, P O
corresponding angles are congruent. 8
QR = 12 ( 5 + 8 ) = 6.5 .

Find the required information and justify your answers.

A B
For problems 1-4 use the parallelogram at right.

1. Find the perimeter. T

2. If CT = 9, find AT. 10
3. If m!CDA = 60° , find m!CBA and
m!BAD . D 12 C
4. If AT = 4x – 7 and CT = –x + 13 , solve for x.

For problems 5-8 use the rhombus at right.

P Q
5. If PS = 6 , what is the perimeter of PQRS?
6. If PQ = 3x + 7 and QR = –x + 17, solve for x. M
7. If m!PSM = 22° , find m!RSM and
m!SPQ .
8. If m!PMQ = 4x – 5, solve for x.
S R

For problems 9-12 use the quadrilateral at right. W X

9. If WX = YZ and WZ = XY, must WXYZ be

a rectangle?
10. If m!WZY = 90° , must WXYZ be a
rectangle? Z Y
11. If the information in problems 9-10 are both
true, must WXYZ be a rectangle?
12. If WY = 15 and WZ = 9, what is YZ and XZ?

GEOMETRY Connections 37
For problems 13-16 use the trapezoid at right with A B
midpoints E and F.

13. If m!EDC = 60° , find m!AEF . E F

14. If m!DCB = 5x + 20 and m!ABC = 3x + 10,
solve for x.
15. If AB = 6 and DC = 10, find EF. D C
16. If EF = 9 and DC = 15, find AB.

For problems 17-20 use the kite at right. W

17. If m!XWZ = 95° , find m!XYZ .

18. If m!WZT = 110° and m!WXY = 40° , Z T
X
find m!ZWX .
19. If WZ = 5 and WT = 4, find ZT.
20. If WT = 4, TZ = 3, and TX = 10, find the
perimeter of WXYZ. Y

Answers
1. 44 units 2. 9 units 3. 60° , 120° 4. 4

5. 4 6 6. 2.5 7. 22°,!136° 8. 23.75

9. no 10. no 11. yes 12. 12, 15

13. 60° 14. 18.75 15. 8 16. 3

17. 95° 18. 105° 19. 3 20. 10 + 2 116

38 Extra Practice